Digital Commons Network^™

The Application Of Knowledge Graphs In Education: A Bibliometric Analysis, Rui Yin, Jundi Teng, Ningwei Sun, Huimin Li, Ting Cheng

Journal of Educational Research and Practice

With the rapid advancement of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies such as ChatGPT, the use of knowledge graphs (KGs) has increased substantially in educational applications. As a technology for knowledge representation and management in AI, KGs play a pivotal role in personalized learning, educational resource integration and management, and learning performance prediction. Their scalability and semantic interpretability were particularly evident in online education during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. However, systematic reviews of their application in education remain limited.

To address this gap, our study analyzed data from the Web of Science (WOS) Core Collection (high-quality Social Sciences Citation Index …

Nourish And Flourish: Building Confidence In Healthy Food Selection Among Older Adults In An Independent Living Facility, Emily Nguyen

Master's Projects and Capstones

The nutrition education program aims to increase confidence in selecting and maintaining healthier food choices and dietary habits for chronic conditions through weekly workshops. This quality improvement project was conducted in an independent senior living facility in Richmond, CA serving the elderly population ages 65 and up. To address the concern of low confidence levels and management of dietary patterns and chronic health conditions pertaining to nutrition, a comprehensive nutrition education program was developed with pre- and post-intervention assessment surveys to compare baseline confidence levels. The weekly workshops for this nutrition education program aims to increase confidence levels of the …

Improving Diabetes Self-Management Through A Partnership Between Clinical Providers And Community Educators In Appalachian Communities, Soghra Jarvandi, Lydia Hoskins, Karen Carver, Andrew May

Journal of Appalachian Health

Introduction: The burden of diabetes is an increasing public health challenge, especially in the Appalachian Region.

Purpose: This study assessed the impact of a community-based diabetes education program on glycemic control.

Methods: Health Extension for Diabetes (HED) is a 4-month diabetes education program offered by Extension educators in collaboration with clinical providers. Participants’ data were collected via phone interviews at baseline and after completing the program. Assessments included self-reported HbA1c, socio-demographics, diabetes knowledge, self-efficacy, and self-management behaviors. Data were analyzed by SAS software using paired analyses.

Results: Of the 105 participants in the program, 87 (83%) completed the post-assessment. Among …

From Covert Use To Structured Oversight: A Framework For Institutional Governance Of Artificial Intelligence In Graduate Medical Education, Samuel R. Briggs, Bita Behrouzi, Robert Hayden

Journal of Maine Medical Center

Problem Statement: Artificial intelligence (AI) tools are routinely used by residents and fellows across graduate medical education. The Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education has no AI-specific policy nor requirement for disclosure norms, leaving programs and attending physicians without a standard framework for supervising AI-assisted trainee work. The result is a training environment in which AI use is simultaneously widespread and under-governed by operating without the policies and supervisory frameworks needed to make that use educationally productive.

Background: AI tools are now embedded across health system workflows, and their use has expanded beyond clinical documentation into education, research, and scholarly …

Dis/Ability Critical Race Theory In The Early Childhood Education Classroom, Milo Knickerbocker

Masters Projects

Data shows that many Black and Disabled students are underserved in their current learning environments. This project provides a theoretical introduction to Dis/ability Critical Race Theory (DisCrit), as well as guidance on how to incorporate the theory into the early childhood education setting. This is done in attempt to provide a more equitable and inclusionary learning environment.  This project incorporates a data-driven professional development program surrounding DisCrit and incorporation of anti-racist and anti-ableist inclusionary teaching methods, for the betterment of all students.

Vocabulary Knowledge Within Young Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Hannah A. Lord

Masters Projects

Young children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) are consistently experiencing a “definitional gap”, where they are able to process vocabulary breadth within labeling but are unable to comprehend text due to the lack of vocabulary depth. The four week vocabulary unit titled “Our World in Words” is created to bridge the gap between vocabulary breadth and depth for first graders. Research in Dual Coding Theory and Cognitive Load Theory provides insight into the use of stable visual anchors with orthographic facilitation, which allows for the disregard of auditory processing, along with an overloaded cognitive load. This framework includes four important …

Exploring The Gaps And Opportunities For Development Of An Amr Educational Package For Higher Education. Project Dataset., Michael Dillon, Delphine Kayem, Thiru Vanniasinkam, Charlotte Cornbill, Muriel Dresen, Arya Gupta, Kristina Kadlec, Priyanka More, Afolake Atinuke Olanbiwoninu, Désirée Schaaf, Raju Sekar, Christina Stylianou

Faculty of Health Datasets

Anonymous cross-sectional survey of higher education educators worldwide teaching antimicrobial resistance (AMR) or related subjects. The dataset captures educators’ teaching experience, curriculum content, and resource needs to identify gaps in AMR education and support development of openly available teaching resources.

Secondary Infertility: A Personal Story Of Loss And Grief, Ben Hughes

Patient Experience Journal

An increasing number of people worldwide are experiencing fertility and this trend is reflected in the data from the United Kingdom. However, most research focuses on the experiences of women and so the male perspective is largely missing from the literature. This narrative is an account of my personal journey of secondary infertility. Presenting a male perspective of infertility provides a point of view which is rarely explored and is about a topic which feels largely a societal taboo. I chart how infertility has changed me, what it has meant to me through my years of trying to come to …

Disability-Related Educational Content In Nutrition And Dietetic Programs: An Exploratory Study, Wendy Medunick, Allison Gomes, Joachim Sackey, Laura Byham-Gray, Jane Ziegler

Journal of Dietetic Education

Background: Health disparities experienced by people with disabilities (PWD) are partly attributed to inadequate knowledge, training, confidence and competence regarding disabilities among health professionals. While registered dietitian nutritionists (RDNs) are key members of the healthcare team, it is unclear how pre-professional nutrition and dietetics (ND) programs prepare future RDNs to care for PWD. This study examined the status of disability-related education within ND programs in the United States. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional electronic survey was distributed to 570 directors of accredited ND programs. The survey, which adapted questions from a previously validated instrument and published studies, included questions assessing disability-related …

Assessing And Addressing Cultural Competence And Cultural Humility In Dietetic Education, Zoe Duran, Nicholas Slagel, Lisa Caldwell, Katie Kage

Journal of Dietetic Education

Limited theory-informed, dietetic-specific resources are available to guide the development, evaluation, and refinement of culturally competent (CC) curricula. This pilot study used a mixed-methods, theory-informed approach to evaluate CC integration within an undergraduate dietetics curriculum and examine the applicability of existing CC self-assessment tools for dietetic students. A senior-level undergraduate community nutrition curriculum was evaluated using the Tool for Assessing Cultural Competence Training (TACCT), guided by the Campinha-Bacote Model of Cultural Competence in Healthcare Delivery. James Banks’ Model of Multicultural Curriculum Reform was then applied to refine curricular content and learning activities. In addition, 74 students enrolled in a didactic …

Virtual Reality: The Future Of Didactic And Experiential Education For Nutrition And Dietetics, Michael Holik, Dexter Richardson

Journal of Dietetic Education

The integration of virtual reality (VR) into nutrition and dietetics education provides an innovative answer to challenges in accessing experiential learning. This study examined student perceptions of immersive VR experiences designed to simulate hospital foodservice operations and nutrition counseling sessions, guided by the Diffusion of Innovation Theory (DOI). A quasi-experimental design involved 55 participants who engaged with 360° VR modules featuring interactive elements, avatars representing key healthcare roles, and embedded critical-thinking questions. Results demonstrated strong support for VR’s educational value across DOI’s five key attributes: relative advantage, compatibility, complexity, trialability, and observability. Participants reported enhanced understanding of registered dietitian roles, …

Education And Inequality:: Shaping Conflict And Peace In Broken Socio-Economic Structures, Anna Zherdeva, Daniel Kamphambale, Lucía Morales

Research Outputs: 2025-Present

This study engages in a critical literature review that offers insights into systemic and structural problems that immigrants face. Being forced, in many cases, to flee from their countries of origin, migrants face many challenges due to a lack of clear educational pathways, cultural integration and social lifts within the world's most advanced countries. For instance, migrants often experience labour-market resistance, as evidenced by consistent, stagnant rates of advancement into higher positions in their host countries and by their limited integration into communities and society. An additional problem is that segregation by country of origin matters significantly, as migrants face …

Integrating Oncology Into Entry-Level Physical Therapist Curricula, Shana Harrington, Christopher M. Wilson, Morgan Zaranec, Lori Boright

Oncology Rehabilitation in Practice

Print issue available for $25.

Background: Cancer and its treatments commonly result in adverse effects that impair function, well-being, and quality of life, necessitating access to skilled physical therapists (PTs). Although oncology is an essential component of physical therapist practice, entry-level education in cancer rehabilitation has historically been limited. In 2025, the Essential Competencies for Physical Therapy Entry-Level Education in Oncology were developed through a mixed-methods, modified Delphi process, establishing 19 competencies across six domains and defining minimum expectations for new graduates. To support translation of these competencies into academic curricula, a practical implementation resource was needed.

Purpose: To …

Decentring Philosophical Education In African Tertiary Education: Integrating Global Perspectives In The Classroom, Isaac Mutelo

Comparative Philosophy

The philosophical discourse has been dominated by Western perspectives, an approach that continues to influence curriculum design and delivery in higher education. The historical dominance of the Western philosophical canon in university curricula has contributed to the marginalisation of other equally significant philosophical traditions from Africa, Latin America, Asia, and Indigenous cultures. This approach has contributed significantly to the narrow and limited scope and relevance of philosophy as an academic field globally. Rather than advocating for the dominance and superiority of the Western-centred curriculum, this paper acknowledges the centrality of integrating global philosophical perspectives in the philosophy curriculum and discourse …

Supporting Mental Health Through Occupation: Education For Women Living With And Beyond Breast Cancer, Rebekah Nicole Trammell, Lakeisa Boykin, Rebekah Jarrar

Summer 2026 OTD Capstone Symposium

Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer among women in the United States, and these women experience high rates of anxiety, depression, and disruption to daily routines and meaningful occupations. Evidence shows that education on self-management strategies, mindfulness-based interventions, and targeted occupational therapy interventions can support the mental health of women experiencing breast cancer. Furthermore, remaining engaged in meaningful occupations is essential to improving overall well-being and quality of life. The purpose of this capstone project was to develop and deliver accessible, evidence-based education in digital and print formats that specifically target identifying mental health challenges, self-management strategies, and …

Measuring Administrative Hiring Confidence Of Music Teachers In The Context Of Shallow Hiring Pools, Aaron M. Strum

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to identify and measure the confidence of K-12 administrators in hiring music faculty. This study also aimed to analyze administrators’ perspectives and confidence in key stages of the hiring process, including defining job expectations, posting, advertising, interviewing, and selecting highly specialized music teachers in K-12 settings. Confidence of K-12 administrators can be gauged through their understanding of how well an applicant aligns with the specific needs of the school’s program. Three research questions guided this investigation: (1a) How confident are K-12 administrators in their understanding of music teaching pedagogy when interviewing music teacher candidates …

Supporting Occupational Engagement And Regulation For Pediatric Multiple Sclerosis, Robert E. Oehl 3rd, Zeida Gutierrez

Summer 2026 OTD Capstone Symposium

Children diagnosed with pediatric multiple sclerosis (MS) can face cognitive, physical, and emotional symptoms. The symptoms they experience can be barriers to participation in occupations and activities of daily living. For occupational therapy, there is very limited resources for pediatric MS specifically, and it is almost an unknown diagnosis. Occupational therapy in management can help ensure that children reach their developmental milestones in mobility, grasp, social, cognitive, and academic circles. This capstone project was meant to improve awareness and comprehensive treatment and resources through program development. The capstone experience resulted in a project featuring a webinar about pediatric MS and …

Unleashing Potential: Educating Ot Practitioners On Animal-Assisted Therapy For Children With Cp, Karley B. Smith, Lakeisa Boykin

Summer 2026 OTD Capstone Symposium

The purpose of this capstone project is to develop and evaluate the efficacy of an animal-assisted therapy educational package for occupational therapy practitioners treating children with cerebral palsy. This educational package serves as an adjunctive occupational therapy service to address the ongoing need for engaging, holistic interventions that support motor development and participation. The primary focus of this project is practitioner education and training to promote safe, structured, and clinically sound integration of animal-assisted therapy into occupational therapy practice. The methods for this project included a literature review, informal needs assessment, development of an educational package, QR code video demonstrations, …

Gamifying The Classroom: An Interactive Literature Curriculum, Ella Mikulecky

Undergraduate Honors Theses

This thesis highlights an interactive literature curriculum that I have created to help youth engage more deeply with classical literary works. It takes inspiration from many existing collegiate-level curricula that fuse historical simulations with literary studies and adapts those teaching methods for high-school-age students. It also utilizes a variety of different teaching philosophies, game mechanics, and literary practices to create an ideal course for fostering engagement. This thesis provides a small sample of the curriculum along with a teacher’s handbook and reports the results of a pilot program conducted in the summer of 2025.

A Focus On Student Needs In German Instruction, Elisa E. Remund

All Graduate Reports and Creative Projects, Fall 2023 to Present

This portfolio serves as documentation of the author’s professional progress throughout the Master of Science of Second Language Teaching (MSSLT) program at Utah State University, shown through teaching philosophy, hands-on teaching experience and practice, and demonstrates the author’s use of pedagogical strategies and theory, including but not exclusive to comprehensible input, the sociocultural method, dynamic assessment, and the output hypothesis. It details the usage of current research-based strategies to increase classroom engagement and student proficiency, such as the IMAGE Model for teaching culture and language, collaborative learning, and dynamic assessment strategies. Furthermore, the portfolio includes a reflection on the benefits …

Neurodivergent Peer Tutoring And Anti-Ableism: Two High Schoolers’ Lived Experiences While Working In A Neurodiversity-Based Writing Center, Daniel S. Harrison

The Writing Center Journal

Neurodivergence is naturally present in the writing center and most often recognized by labels like ADHD, autism, OCD, dyslexia, and so on. However, neurodivergent voices in writing center scholarship have been few and far between in postsecondary institutions (Babcock, 2017; Batt, 2018; Kleinfeld, 2023), and in the secondary writing center even less so. Therefore, the purpose of this multiple case study was to explore the personal, relational, and formative aspects of the lived experiences of two neurodivergent students through a critical disability theory lens as they provided writing consultations to their neurodivergent peers in a Mid-Atlantic, independent special education school. …

The Legacy, Importance, & Impact Of Lend: Evidence And Personal Stories, Emily Zalimeni, Emma Stone, Alexa Fortier, Leia Getchell, Nataliya Kloyzner, Asha Abdullahi, Elizabeth Barkoudah, Meghan Chapman, Meredith Close, Heather Engholm, Melissa Levin, Aanchal Sharma, Sarah Sparks, Patricia Rissmiller, Amy Szarkowski, Jason M. Fogler

Developmental Disabilities Network Journal

Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and related Disabilities (LEND) programs offer an interdisciplinary/interprofessional training opportunity for medical and allied health professionals, and individuals impacted by disability, including family members and self-advocates. Toward the aim of advocating for the enduring need of LEND and similar training programs, this article centers the voices of a subset of our alumni who have advanced the rights and improved the lives of persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities. These stories are intended to illustrate the key lessons and principles of LEND training, including attending to disability issues in education, growing skills within and between individuals working …

Class Struggle And The Socialist Economic Calculation Debate, Tiago Camarinha Lopes

Emancipations: A Journal of Critical Social Analysis

The socialist economic calculation debate is often portrayed as a sharp and straightforward conflict between two opposing sides. While this characterization is valid given the ideological clash between defenders of capitalism and proponents of socialism, this paper offers a more nuanced perspective on the interaction between the main schools of economic thought involved in the debate, the Marxist and the Austrian. Drawing on the humanist approach of critical pedagogy developed by Brazilian philosopher Paulo Freire (1921–1997), the paper argues that the debate over socialist economic calculation is not only a clear expression of class struggle within economics. It also involves …

Unbroken Sovereignty: Land, Water, Education, And Nakoda And Oc̣Eti Ṡaḳowiŋ Tribes Of The Fort Peck Indian Reservation, 1850–1935, Richard Joseph Maska

History ETDs

This dissertation explores the intersection of sovereignty and development among the Nakoda (Assiniboine) and Oc̣eti Ṡaḳowiŋ (Sioux) Tribes of the Fort Peck Indian Reservation during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Methodologically, it draws on a critical reading of archival sources in conjunction with community input. It traces the emergence of reservation policy, government sponsored education, the imposition of allotment policy and private landownership, and the impact of state-sponsored irrigation and other development projects. I argue that the Tribes forged webs of affiliation and kinship to both assert their nationhood and navigate their involvement in such projects. These expressions …

History Of Education In Alabama 1702-1889, Willis G. Clark

Documents

Information on the educational system in Alabama with the founding of LaGrange College, its president and other members of the faculty, distinguished alumni. A later chapter gives a little information about the switch over to Normal Schools in Alabama and Florence.

A History Of Methodism In Alabama, Rev. Anson West, D.D.

Documents

Rev. Anson West details the events leading to the Methodist Conference and the establishment of LaGrange College in Franklin County, Alabama.

Beginnings...Of The University Of North Alabama The Story Of Florence Wesleyan University, William Lindsey Mcdonald

Documents

Part I of Beginnings...of The University of North Alabama, which discusses the history of LaGrange College.

Two Hundred Years At Muscle Shoals, Nina Leftwich

Documents

Information of education in Muscle Shoals (Franklin County) and LaGrange College. (Parts of Chapter 3)

The Life Of Robert Paine D.D., Bishop Of The Methodist Episcopal Church, South, R. H. Rivers, D.D.

Documents

Chapters 4-13 of The Life of Robert Paine, D.D., which discusses the events of the establishment of LaGrange College in Franklin County, Alabama through the removal of the college to Florence, Alabama. Robert Paine, D.D. served as president of the college as well as a professor teaching a range of subjects, from moral science to geology from 1830 until 1846, when he was elected bishop of the Methodist church at the first General conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, in Petersburg, Virginia.

Beginnings...Of The University Of North Alabama The Story Of Florence Wesleyan University, William Lindsey Mcdonald

Documents on Education and Progress of the University

Part II of Beginnings...of The University of North Alabama, which discusses the 13-year history of Florence Wesleyan University.